Sausage-stuffer.



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No. 894,039. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

' G. R. NAPIER.

SAUSAGE STUFPBR.

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SAUSAGE STUFPER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 24,1907.

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wwwemao @Ze/z atl'o zmego No. 894,039. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

G. R. NAPIER.

SAUSAGE STUFPER.

APPLICATION FILED OOT. 24.1901.

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w. e1 r k X/ a g J M attozum o GEORGE REED NAPIER, OF MACON, GEORGIA.

SAUSAGE-STUFFER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908.

Application filed October 24, 1907. Serial No. 398,977.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE REED NAPIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Macon, in the county of Bibb and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sausage-Stuifers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to sausage stufiers and has for one of its objects to provide a device of this kind which is adapted to utilize hydraulic or pneumatic pressure for actuating a movable piston for-the purpose of forcing the contents of a cylinder out through nozzles into a casing in the usual manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for simultaneously permitting the actuating medium to escape through one side of the piston and admit a medium upon the other side of the piston for returning the latter to its normal position.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for locking the cover or top of the cylinder in position and also to afford means for initially starting to open or remove said cover.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention comprises the improved construction and novel arrangement of parts of a sausage stuffer, as will be hereinafter more particularly set forth. In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention: Figure 1 is a vertical, central sectional view of one form of mechanism embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the top; and Fig. 4 is a broken detail view showing how the latch can be used for assisting in openingthe top or cover.

Referring more particularly to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only and therefore are not drawn to any particular scale, 1 indicates a cylinder which may be of any desired size or dimension. Reciprocally mounted in the upper portion of the cylinder is a piston or head 2, which is preferably of suflicient depth to guide itself with out a piston rod, if desired. The piston is preferably hollowand provided with a hollow rod 3, which is adapted to extend through a removable head 4 and provided at its lower end with perforations 5 and a piston 6. The ower portion of the cylinder 1, within which the piston 6 is located, is preferably of a slightly smaller diameter than the upper portion whereby a shoulder 7. is formed substantially mid-way the ends of the cylinder and upon which the head 4 is removably seated. Screws 8 project through the sides of the cylinder and engage with the head 4 to prevent its movement when the device is being operated and the perforation at the center of the head for the passage of the rod 3 is preferably provided with an ordinary stuffing box 9.

The periphery of the piston 2 is preferably provided with a groove 10, from which perforations or passages 11 extend to the interior whereby communication is established for the escape through the rod 3 of any water or air that may be forced past the valve 12 into the piston head. The groove and perforations also permit the entrance into the hollow of the piston of any of the contents of the upper portion of the cylinder that may be forced past the upper edge of the piston and from which said contents may be removed at any time. The upper face of the piston 2 is provided with a disk of packing 13 which is secured thereto by means of screws 14 and the packing 12 is preferably of the form of an annulus of leather or other flexible material which is secured to the under side of the piston by means of an annular disk 15 and bolts 16.

The top of the cylinder is preferably in the form of a lid or cover 17 which is hingedly connected as at 18 and is provided at its free end with a hinged latch 19 which is adapted to engage with a projection 20 upon the side of the cylinder diametrically opposite the hinge 18. The latch 19 is preferably in the form of a stirrup which is pivotally secured, as at 21, to a projection 22 from the side of the lid or cover 17 and is provided with a handle 23 by means of which the bottom 24 of the stirrup can be swung into and out of engagement with the projection 20. The upper end of each leg of the stirrup is extended above the pivotal point 21 and preferably slightly recessed, as shown at 25, against which the free end of a lever 26 is adapted to engage and thereby prevent the outward movement of the handle 23 until after the lever has been moved downwardly out of engagement with said recess. The levers 26 are pivotally secured upon opposite sides of the rib or projection 22 by means of a bolt 27 and each of them is adapted to be normally moved up into its locking position by means of a spring 28 and a stop 29 is provided for limiting the upward movement of each lever. The free end of each lever is of such height or thickness, preferably by means of a projection 30, so that when it engages with the top of the cylinder the portion of each leg of the stirrup adjacent to its pivotal point will engage therewith, as shown in Fig. 4 when the handle 23 is drawn outward and will thereby materially assist in helping to elevate or start the lid or cover from'its closed position. The importance of this means of opening the cover will be apparent when it is considered that the cover must fit the top of the cylinder very closely to prevent the escape of the contents at that point when subjected to the enormous pressure that is necessary with such devices and, also to the sticky nature of the meat when it has been prepared for sausage.

The side of the cylinder is provided with two perforations 31 and 32, directly above the removable head 4 and with a perforation 33 directly under the head upon one side and with a perforation 34 at the bottom upon the other side. Communication is established between one of the perforations above the head 4, as 32, and the perforation 34 by suitable connection, as a pipe 35 and connectors 36. A valve chamber 37 is secured to the side of the cylinder over the perforations 31 and 33 and a valve 33 is mounted therein so as to open one of said perforations and close the other whenever the valve is actuated, thereby permitting the actuating medium, as water or .air, to pass from the casing to the interior of the cylinder and back again as desired. The medium is admitted to the valve chamber through a pipe 39 and it is permitted to escape therefrom through a pipe 40, the pipe 40 communicating with a discharge opening 41 which is preferably located between the passages 31 and 33.

The valve shown in the drawings is an ordinary slide valve of such length as to close the opening 33 and expose opening 31 when moved to its limit in one direction and to close the opening 31 and expose the opening 33 when moved to its limit in the other direction. The under face of the valve is provided with the usual recess 42 which is adapted to open communication with either one of said openings and the discharge opening 41 according to the direction in which the valve has been moved and thereby permit of the escape of the medium from the cylinder upon one side of the head 4, while it is being admitted upon the other side. The valve is preferably actuated by means of an ordinary ever 43 and a rod 44.

In using a sausage stufl'er as above described, the two pistons are forced into their lowest positions and the upper end of the cylinder is filled with the material which it is desired to force out through the o enings 45 at the upper end of the cylinder an the ordinary nozzles which are secured thereto and may be of any ordinary construction and therefore, are not shown in the drawings, as they form no part of the present invention. The vessel or cylinder is then closed by means of the lid or cover 17 and locked by means of the latch 19 and lever 26. Lever 43 is then moved so as to permit of the medium, as water or compressed air, entering the cylinder through the opening 31 between the two heads 2 and 4. From there the medium will pass through the opening 32, the connection 35 and 36 into the lower end of the cylinder under the head 6 through the opening 34. In this manner pressure will be supplied sub stantially equally under the pistons 2 and 6 and the contents of the cylinder above the piston or head 2 will be forced out through the openings 45 into the casing in the usual manner. If any of the medium should leak ast the packing 12 into the interior of the liead 2, it will immediately pass down through the hollow rod 3 and out through the perforations 5 into the space between the head 4 of the piston 6. After the contents have been conducted from the cylinder in this manner and it is desired to return the pistons to their normal position, the valve 38 is moved upwards so as to open communication between the opening 31 and the discharge outlet 41 for the escape of the medium upon the lower side of the pistons 2 and 6 and also to open communication between the pressure pipe 39 and the interior of the cylinder between the heads 4 and 6 through the openings 33, whereby the pistonswill be forced down by the entrance of the actuating medium on top of the piston 6. To prevent the passage of the actuating medium from the space between the heads 4 and 6 through the opening 5 and the rod 3 up into the hollow of the piston head 2 a check valve 46 is located at the upper end of the rod 3. In this man: ner pressure can be applied so as to quickly return the pistons to their normal positions and at the same time prevent the passing of the medium from the rod 3 into the piston head 2 but permitting the free passage of any of the medium through the head 2 into the rod 3 whenever the pistons are being moved in the opposite direction. After the pistons have been restored to their normal position in this manner the lid or cover 17 is opened and the upper part of the cylinder is again filled with material when the lid can be again closed and the operation as above described can be quickly repeated by simply moving the lever 43 so as to open the desired communication between the pressure ipe 39 and the interior of the cylinder. In opening the lid'or cover, it is initially started by manually forcing the free ends of the levers 26 down on to the upper edge of the cylinder and swinging the handle 23 outward so as to cause the intermediate portions of the lugs 19 to engage broken in this manner, the cover can be easily swung upward on its hinges to permit of the filling of the machine for another operation.

Instead of shouldering the interior of the cylinder as above described, the cylinder can be made of substantially half the length, as shown in Fig. 1 and provide its bottom 47 with a depending chamber or cylinder 48, as shown in Fig. 2. In this construction the lower end of the rod 3 is provided with a small-sized head or piston 49 which is adapted to be reciprocated within the chamber 48. In this construction the valve chamber 37 is preferably connected with the interior of the cylinders 50 and 48, by means of pipes 51 and 52, respectively and the lower end of the cylinder 48 is connected directly with the escape pipe 53 by means of a pipe In this construction, the upward pressure or movement of the piston 2 is exerted only by the entrance of the medium into the cylinder 50 and the downward pressure is only exerted through the smaller piston 49. Otherwise the construction and operation of the different parts are substantially. the same as the construction shown in Fig. 1, but the power applied to actuate said parts in their movements in both directions is not so strong nor eflicient as in said flrstmentioned structure. It is also evident that further changes and variations in the mech anism for embodying my invention may be made and I reserve the right to make all such modifications in the same as will come within the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claims. I

aving thus described my invention, I claim z 1. In a sausage stuffer, a two-compartment cylinder. one compartment having openings provided with meat nozzles, a piston in each compartment, one of which is hollow and provided with peripheral openings, a hollow rod for connecting said pistons and communicating with the interior of the hollow piston, and means for introducing a fluid pressure into engagement with the under side of'the hollow piston for moving the other piston for moving said hollow piston in the opposite direction.

it in one direction and with the upper side of i said pistons and having its top end communicating with the interior of said hollow piston, and means for introducing a fluid medium for engagement with the lower side of the hollow piston for moving it in one direction and means for introducing a fluid medium into engagement with the upper side of the other piston for returning the hollow piston to its normal position.

3. In a sausage stuifer, a cylinder having its intermediate portion provided with an internal shoulder, a driving head on said shoulder for dividing said cylinder into two compartments one compartment having openings provided with meat nozzles, a piston in each compartment, a hollow rod connected at its ends with said piston, the upper end communicating with the hollow of one piston and the lower portion provided with perforations above the other piston, a check valve at the upper end of said rod, means for simultaneously introducing a fluid mediumunder both of said pistons for moving them upward, and means for introducing a fluid medium on top of one of the pistons and simultaneously permitting the escape of the first-mentioned fluid for moving said pistons downward.

4. In a sausage stuffer, a cylinder provided intermediate its ends with an internal shoulder and having its wall perforated at two points above and below said shoulder respectively, one of the perforations below the shoulder being at the lower end of the cylinder, means for establishing communication between said last mentioned opening and one of the openings above the shoulder, a valve for alternately opening and closing the other opening, and an outlet common to both of said last mentioned openings and adapted to be controlled by said valve, a perforated head on said shoulder, for dividing the cylinder into two compartments one compartment having openings provided with meat nozzles, a piston in each compartment, the upper one of which is hollow, a hollow rod secured at its ends to said istons and having its lower end provided with openings above the lower piston, a check valve for said hollow rod, and means for introducing a fluid medium through a portion of the openings in the wall of the cylinder for moving the pistons upward, and introducing a medium above the other piston and simultaneously permitting of the escape of the first-mentioned fluid for moving said pistons in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE REED NAPIER. Witnesses:

DAVID TODD, WM. A. OHAPIN. 

